Patio Life: Vapourer Caterpillars

Lymantriidae (Lymantriinae)

Folder: Moths by Family
Tussock Moths
Black Arches Head Gear

Black Arches Head Gear

04 Aug 2013 2 2 202
Stars of the catch of Sussex Moth Group, Hastings Branch Possingworth Park Moth event 3 Aug 2013
Black Arches

Black Arches

04 Aug 2013 146
Stars of the catch of Sussex Moth Group, Hastings Branch Possingworth Park Moth event 3 Aug 2013
Vapourer

Vapourer

17 Jul 2013 174
Stars of the catch 17 July 2013. Another we don't see often, and could be one of the ones that I let go onto the bramble on the patio earlier.
Patio Life: Vapourer Face

Patio Life: Vapourer Face

24 Jun 2013 1 1 158
Some serious antenna action on these guys, but they have to find those females who can't move. Large eyes for such a small moth too.
Patio Life: Vapourer

Patio Life: Vapourer

24 Jun 2013 1 150
Oddly the outside caterpillars took more time pupating, I still have one stubborn one on my rasberry plant eating away while these are all off flying the world.
Patio Life: Vapourer Female 2 Side

Patio Life: Vapourer Female 2 Side

24 Jun 2013 1 140
I think she is pretty amazing really, frumpy little thing...lol
Patio Life: Vapourer Female 2

Patio Life: Vapourer Female 2

24 Jun 2013 1 145
In all I had three large females emerge out of the 14 caterpillars of Vapourer moths we 'in-house' reared.
Patio Life: Vapourer Female Eggs

Patio Life: Vapourer Female Eggs

20 Jun 2013 1 1 168
If you look closely at her abdomen you can see nothing but eggs. Update: the first few of the Vapourer Moths emerge, this being the first female. The females of this species are wingless as you can see, they generally release pheromones and wait for a feather antennaed male to show up and mate, then lay their eggs very near where they pupated and then die. They only live a few days usually.
Patio Life: Vapourer Male

Patio Life: Vapourer Male

19 Jun 2013 1 151
Male Vapourer moth has finally emerged.
Patio Life: Vapourer Moth Female

Patio Life: Vapourer Moth Female

20 Jun 2013 1 189
Update: the first few of the Vapourer Moths emerge, this being the first f emale. The females of this species are wingless as you can see, they generally release pheromones and wait for a feather antennead male to show up and mate, then lay their eggs very near where they pupated.
Patio Life: Tilt-a-Whirl

Patio Life: Tilt-a-Whirl

06 Jun 2013 2 2 334
One of the big female Vapourer caterpillars protesting me messing about with her.
Patio Life: Vapourer Dance

Patio Life: Vapourer Dance

06 Jun 2013 3 265
One of the big females from inside, wish I had a video, was dancing on the smooth surface round and round. More updates to the Vapourer moth caterpillars we had, they have since pupated and emerged will update with more photos soon.
Patio Life: Final Instar Male

Patio Life: Final Instar Male

06 Jun 2013 209
One from inside having a wander while the container gets a clean and fresh food. They pupated a couple days later. More updates to the Vapourer moth caterpillars we had, they have since pupated and emerged will update with more photos soon.
Patio Life: Vapourer Fifth Instar

Patio Life: Vapourer Fifth Instar

06 Jun 2013 2 206
One of the male final instar from inside. More updates to the Vapourer moth caterpillars we had, they have since pupated and emerged will update with more photos soon.
Patio Life: Vapourer Fifth Instar

Patio Life: Vapourer Fifth Instar

06 Jun 2013 229
There were loads of these guys, and I have a couple of pots of bramble on the balcony so this is one of the ones we put outside. We also released about 70 on other wild places. More updates to the Vapourer moth caterpillars we had, they have since pupated and emerged will update with more photos soon.
Patio Life: Vapourer Fourth Instar

Patio Life: Vapourer Fourth Instar

06 Jun 2013 245
There were loads of these guys, and I have a couple of pots of bramble on the balcony so this is one of the ones we put outside. We also released about 70 on other wild places. More updates to the Vapourer moth caterpillars we had, they have since pupated and emerged will update with more photos soon.
Patio Life: Vapourers Second and Third Instar

Patio Life: Vapourers Second and Third Instar

11 May 2013 237
They are not real cooperative at this age..lol Sorry for the poor quality but you get the idea, two different stages are here. More updates to the Vapourer moth caterpillars we had, they have since pupated and emerged will update with more photos soon.
Patio Life: Vapourer Caterpillars

Patio Life: Vapourer Caterpillars

08 May 2013 4 189
Just a photo to show second instar, too bad they are far to young to pose for a nice portrait...lol
65 items in total